A New Heaven and a New Earth

God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Rev 21:5. Rev 21:3-4

Never before has a promise of hope meant so much. Living now as we do in an era of violence, pain and trauma this vision of John gives us hope for a new Heaven and a new Earth.

This does not mean that we stop caring for our planet.

“Creation is the primary and most perfect revelation of the Divine.” — Thomas Aquinas

This does not mean that we turn our back on suffering, because the Lord requires that we walk justly, with humility and that we love mercy. (Micah 6).

What it does do is give our spirits hope – hope that it will not always be like this. Hope to keep going, hope for something better.

One day our mourning will end.

Our mourning over species that are dying and disappearing everyday. Mourning over forests and habitats that are being raped and scraped from the earth. Mourning over genocides and war. Mourning over not enough food, mourning over modified food that does not provide nourishment.

This promise of NEW includes every creature, it includes all of creation.

The earth groans as in labour pains as it witnesses the decay of our planet. We see this in earthquakes, fires and floods. At the same time the heavens are declaring the glory of God. The hope of a new day.

Time and time again in the narrative of the bible we see the character and nature of God in creation.

“From the beginning until now, the entire creation has been groaning in one great act of giving birth, and not only creation, but all of us who possess the Spirit groan inwardly, as we wait for our bodies to be set free”

Could it be that we humans are the last ones to get it?

Are we the last to understand the plan of God. Creation has know since the beginning that we are to live in balance with each other. Taking only what we need. Living in simplicity and harmony with the world around us.

Restoration and new birth is the message of Jesus Christ. Creation will be restored.

Life comes out of death.

Joy from mourning

Beauty for Ashes

These are promises of hope for us today.

In Genesis the first picture we see is of God creating the heavens and the earth. Many years after the death of Jesus, John saw a vision of a new heaven and a new earth.

You would have to be blind Freddy to not realise that we are not living the way that we were created to live. We as a species do not live in harmony with each other, creation or the planet. We are killing each other and we are killing the home on which we live.

Our very suffering now, our condensed presence on this common nest that we have fouled, will soon be the one thing that we finally share in common. It might well be the one thing that will bring us together. The earth and its life systems on which we all entirely depend (just like God!) might soon become the very thing that will convert us to a simple Gospel lifestyle, to necessary community, and to an inherent and universal sense of the holy. Rhor

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2 Comments on “A New Heaven and a New Earth”

Both Wright and Moltmann claim that ‘all things’ mean just that. The entire creation will be renewed. Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew the last day was imminent. He said,’I would plant a tree’. That tree would be a perfect tree on the new earth. The re creation and redemption of all things means that the mountains will shout for joy, the animals will bark and quack at their perfect state, the lakes and rivers will gurgle their praise:
and we, with all creation will be renewed in the presence of the King